Top Emerging Tech Companies of 2014

The Internet brought everything closer. Everyone from business owners to foodies, were able to connect online and share information, run their business and generally, make a profit from anywhere in the world. However, the Internet played an even more dramatic role in the technology sector. Information sharing and open source technology in particular led to remarkable upheavals in the last decade and technology changed rapidly due to this simple online Internet sharing. Industry analysts on top websites like washingtonpost.com state that consumers can now expect rapid changes in devices and technology in the coming years. Emerging tech companies will be utilizing shared technology, R&D innovation and technical skills to display products and talents that will revolutionize the tech world.

What to Watch For

Although there are several companies hitting the headlines already, Technology Review has created a list of the emerging tech companies of 2014 that are worth watching out for and we’ve categorized them as per industry.

Computing

With the advent of the Internet, computing and online communication is an industry that is in high demand. This is particularly true for large businesses that have to keep up with the market by adapting to modern changing technology.

Expect Labs has come up with anticipatory software that will listen in when you talk and suggest relevant information simultaneously. The software is modeled on Apple’s Siri system in which you have to ask and the system pulls up information on the screen. However, Expect Labs has software called MindMeld that will keep the user always-on-Siri and ensure relevant information is updated instantly for the user to access. This anticipatory computing technology is expected to become quite popular by late 2014 as companies are planning on adapting it to mobiles, PDAs and other communication platforms.

Freescale Semiconductor is another such company that has been playing its card close to its chest. However, the company specializes on making tiny computers for the Internet. Not much is known about the tech end, but rumors estimate the new computers to be about 2 square millimeters in size with all the functions of a conventional computer.

D-Wave Systems is another notable company for its work on remarkably fast computers. Quantum computers have the Holy Grail of computing, and D-Wave Systems may have achieved it. Not much is known about what the company has developed but its machines seems to solve certain problems far, far quicker than the industry average. In fact, in one demonstration, D-Wave System computers solved complex problems in half a second. Conventional computers took 30 seconds to solve the same problems.

Communication and Video Conferencing

Videoconferencing in particular is turning out to be an interesting field to watch in 2014. Innovative products to watch out for include the following:

Popular companies like Blue Jeans have been ramping up their services in the last two years. Blue Jeans video conferencing will be providing interoperable cloud-based video conferencing for all companies. Users across the world will be able to use the system from any platform to connect at any time.

Qualcomm is working on a brain-like or neuromorphic processors processor to be released by late 2015. The software could cut down on processing time by making communication super-fast.

Snapchat is also increasingly popular with users due to the short-term nature of the photos. The app runs the same way as WhatsApp but deletes all images and conversations about 24 hours or according to user-determined time periods.

Biotechnology

The biotechnology field is improving rapidly. In the last two years, the field has several new companies creating innovative devices and software for public use.

Siluria Technologies has been on the radical edge of collecting gasoline from natural gas. The technology could be used to manufacture cheaper plastics and gasoline making both materials cheaper. Although they still have no appreciable results, the company is confident enough to state that it may succeed while others have failed.

Second Sight is another company making an impression. Retinal damage is downright impossible to treat but Second Sight has come up with an artificial retina that could help blind people see. Although the technology is still in the development stages, it is showing impressive results.

Arcadia Biosciences is creating quite a lot of discussion. Not much is known about the company, but Arcadia Biosciences has been generating a huge amount of buzz. The company has been experimenting with test crops that will use less fertilizer, water and tolerate adverse soil and weather conditions.

These are just a few of the top innovative companies on the market but many more companies are still creating a buzz. Companies like Qihoo 360 Technology, Monsanto and Aquion Energy are all on the frontier of scientific breakthroughs and many more interesting products and services are expected to hit the market quite soon.